2. What is the poverty line?

The poverty line is a common method used to measure poverty based on income or consumption levels. A person is considered poor if his or her income or consumption level falls below a given “minimum level” necessary to fulfill basic needs.

3. What are the indicators used to work out poverty?

The indicators used to work out poverty are the level of income and consumption. However, poverty is now looked at through other social indicators like illiteracy level, lack of general resistance due to malnutrition, lack of job opportunities, lack of access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and healthcare.

5. What is social exclusion?

Social exclusion is a process through which individuals or groups are prevented from using facilities, benefits, and opportunities that the better-off section of society enjoys. It can be both a cause and a consequence of poverty.

7. How is the poverty line determined in India?

The poverty line in India is determined based on a minimum level of food requirement, clothing, footwear, fuel and light, education and medical requirement for subsistence. These physical quantities are multiplied by their prices in rupees. The total equivalent is considered the poverty line.

8. What is the aim of the Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP) and when was it launched?

REGP was launched in 1995 to create self-employment opportunities in rural areas and small towns. Its aim is to create 25 lakh new jobs under the Tenth Five Year Plan.

9. What is the daily minimum nutritional requirement for a person in rural and urban areas in India?

The daily minimum nutritional requirement for a person is fixed at 2400 calories per person/ per day in rural areas and 2100 calories per person/ per day in urban areas.

11. Is the present methodology of poverty estimation in India appropriate?

No, the present methodology of poverty estimation is not appropriate. It captures only a limited part of what poverty really means to the people. Many scholars advocate that we must broaden the concept into human poverty.

14. What is the National Food for Work Programme (NFWP) and when was it launched?

NFWP was launched in 2004 in the 150 most backward districts of the country. It is a 100% centrally sponsored scheme that provides food grains free of cost to states for implementation.

16. Which Indian states have taken necessary measures to reduce poverty?

Punjab and Haryana have low poverty ratios due to high agricultural growth rates. Kerala has focused on human resource development and West Bengal has taken necessary land reform measures to reduce poverty.

19. What are the causes of poverty in India?

The causes of poverty in India include British rule, a predominantly rural economy, heavy population pressure, chronic unemployment and underemployment, lack of proper industrialization, and social factors like illiteracy and the caste system.

20. What are the two planks of India's current anti-poverty strategy?

The two planks of India's current anti-poverty strategy are the promotion of economic growth and targeted anti-poverty programs, such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

21. What is the Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) and when was it launched?

SGSY was launched in 1999 to bring the assisted poor families above the poverty line by organizing them into self-help groups through a mix of bank credit and government subsidy.

22. What are the major weaknesses of poverty alleviation programmes and what are the challenges ahead for poverty reduction in India?

The major weaknesses of poverty alleviation programs are improper implementation, targeting issues, overlapping schemes, and non-delivery of benefits. Challenges for poverty reduction include rural-urban disparities, human poverty, and achieving gender equality and dignity for the poor.